The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-14
EARLY NEW ENGLAND TRAINING.
"Reminiscences Brought Ont by Ingersoll'
Account of Beecher's Boyhood.

"Reminiscences Brought Ont by Ingersolls
Account of Beecher's Boyhood.
Correspondence New York Evening Post.
This Tngersolls description was not exactly,
not literally, true of Mr.. Beechers home, but it
is a very good shot at the truth, and it did not
miss the mark widely. It was, to a considera-
BILE extent. true of the homes of all ministers
children of those days. / was born only year
after Henry Ward, and after his father removed
to Boston was his school fellow, and were
students at Amherss at the same time. The
preparatory school there was a juvenile theologi-
cal seminary, and SO was the college after
wards entered. The same austere doctrines were
impressed upon ''in season and out of seas IN I"
that we had been taught at home. We were
the victims of several 'revivals" which made
our surroundings inexpressibly gloomy, and
am quite sure that he did not become pious."
and did not experience hope" at the Mt.
Pleasant school where many poor little chaps
were frightened into the love of Cod don't
believe that anybody in good and regular
standing" in the orthodox church in those days
did love God. They might have supposed that
they did; but there was nothing in His character
understood by them that they could love.
They feared Him, and they had reason to fear
Him. It always seemed to me as little boy
that there were two Gods-one was Jehovah and
the other was Jesus, and I wondered how Jesus
could be so good when His Father was bad
Mr.. Beechers father and mine were both min
listers, not only protesting, but most sincerely
believing in Calvinism. and, would have
supposed in the plenary inspiration of the As
sembly's catechism. 1t was indeed mystery"
tne60 men WeT0
icsome, playful with their children. the life of
their parish parties, and happy in the cultured
society Of Boston, whore they came in contact
with men of opposite sentiments. It must have
been a relief to them to get away from duty on
such occasions. and they did regard it to be
their duty to preach earnestly ic the church
and in the prayer meeting what they believed to
be the truth, which all must believe be
damned. It would have been inconsistent in
them if they had not impressed it upon their
children. in whose salvation they would natu-
rally have been most interested. 1t was their
duty to do it.
AS children we were often overshadowed by
the assemblages OF the suffolk and Norfolk
county associations" and do not believe that
any of these mon were hypocrites. Dr. Srorrs
of Braintree, father of the present DR.. Storrs
of Brooklyn. was one of them He often came
to Dorchester on an exchange. He was fear
fully eloquent preacher In his excitement he
would pound the Bible and thrash the cushion
with a vehemence that was terrible as the doc
trines he enforced. He would picture the
of the sinner. the day of Judgment, the writhing
If the damned in the lake Of fire and birthstone,
with all the power of his oratory, with shouting
voice and with glazing eyes, Had he not been
preaching against the devil. we would have sup
posed that the devil himself was in the pulpit
When Dr. Storrs. DR. Beecher, DR. Finney,
any of these terrible men came home to dine.
and cracked their jokes at the table, what
wonder was it that we poor little children who
had just been frightened by them nearly to
death wondered how they coulda" That was
indeed mystery"
We knew that unless experienced
"change of heart" should be- everlastngly
damned We knew that it useless, if not
wicked, to pray for that process to come about.
We knew that it was to be accomplished, il
complished at all, by the Holy Spirit; especial
fevor bringing first conviction then con
version ~ resulting in our Joining the church."
thus making salvation sure We we're all the
time told that '.few would be saved" When
we looked around upon the world. so far
childish vision could scan. saw that few in
a IN n6t anna m y
church those who were admitted To 9th er
churches not requiring these preliminaries. be-